The ole Capt. is back ( a little the worse for wear ), having survived another Carnaval in Ecuador. Surviving the juegos de agua ( water games ) is similar to coming through a summer hurricane.
One has to be prepared to be bombed with a water balloon, tossed from anywhere by anyone, including sweet old ladies. Fend of attacks of well armed little grommets with super-soakers, squirt guns, or just pots of water !
Plastic swimming pools are ubiquitous – in front of people’s homes, in the streets, on the sidewalks and on the rooftop patios.
One way or the other, everyone is going to get wet !
And you need the water to wash off the prodigious numbers of canisters of colored spray foam squirted at you. Everyone is packin’ cans of the gooey stuff ! ( I went through about a half dozen cans myself )
In some areas, bags of flour and eggs are also hurled with joyous disregard.
All off this mayhem is accompanied by a cacophony of music, shouting and laughter – often aided and abetted by the copious amounts of cerveza consumed
While several cities have their Carnaval Parades with floats and costumed participants, and crowds of celebrants, I prefer the chaos and cacophony of the neighborhood impromptu festivities.
Mornin Ballardeers
The ole Capt. is back ( a little the worse for wear ), having survived another Carnaval in Ecuador. Surviving the juegos de agua ( water games ) is similar to coming through a summer hurricane.
One has to be prepared to be bombed with a water balloon, tossed from anywhere by anyone, including sweet old ladies. Fend of attacks of well armed little grommets with super-soakers, squirt guns, or just pots of water !
Plastic swimming pools are ubiquitous – in front of people’s homes, in the streets, on the sidewalks and on the rooftop patios.
One way or the other, everyone is going to get wet !
And you need the water to wash off the prodigious numbers of canisters of colored spray foam squirted at you. Everyone is packin’ cans of the gooey stuff ! ( I went through about a half dozen cans myself )
In some areas, bags of flour and eggs are also hurled with joyous disregard.
All off this mayhem is accompanied by a cacophony of music, shouting and laughter – often aided and abetted by the copious amounts of cerveza consumed
While several cities have their Carnaval Parades with floats and costumed participants, and crowds of celebrants, I prefer the chaos and cacophony of the neighborhood impromptu festivities.
Think Ballard Street with a Spanish accent !